Atomizing nozzles, also called mist heads, are used in connection with misting systems to produce a fog or fine mist. A fluid, typically water, is forced under pressure through the atomizing nozzles to produce the mist. Desirably, the mist is sufficiently fine so that it rapidly evaporates. As the mist evaporates, the general area around the atomizing nozzles becomes cooler. Rapid evaporation prevents people and property located in the mist from getting wet and enhances the cooling effect. Accordingly, misting systems are often used for cooling and for increasing humidity.
In order to produce a fog or fine mist that quickly evaporates, atomizing nozzles conventionally include a metallic portion containing a small outlet orifice through which the fluid passes under pressure to produce the desired fog or mist. In addition, a metallic impeller, also called a plunger or poppet, is positioned within a passage that connects to the orifice. The action of the impeller within the passage fractures the fluid and produces a finer fog or mist.
The mist-producing orifice is either formed directly in the body of the atomizing nozzle or in an orifice insert pressed into a recess within the nozzle body. When the orifice is formed in an insert, the insert is typically pressed into place in the nozzle body with great force. This produces a fluid-tight seal even when the fluid is under high pressure. Since the insert is pressed into the nozzle body with great force, it cannot thereafter be removed for subsequent cleaning of the orifice to remove the deposited mineral materials.
In time, these deposited mineral materials will eventually completely block passage of the fluid, and the nozzle is no longer able to produce the fog or mist. Accordingly, conventional atomizing nozzles are expensive to acquire and become clogged during use. Such blocked nozzles cannot be unclogged, necessitating the purchase and installation of replacement nozzles.